Gogglebox viewers are less than impressed by the new Channel 4 armchair critics recruits as the show returns this week for series 26.
It’s been all change for this season of Gogglebox, as the show added five new families to the roster.
The new cast members include friends from Glasgow, Jake and Calum; the Gordon family from Surrey; married couple Alfie and Andrew from the Cotswolds; as well as sisters from Edinburgh, Rosie and Susie; and a mother and daughter-in-law duo from Yorkshire, Sara and Lara.
Mike Cotton, creative director of producers Studio Lambert, said it was ‘a delight to welcome some new households to the Gogglebox family’
However, we also said goodbye to Scottish couple Joe Kyle and Roisin Kelly. Roisin said they were ‘brutally axed from Gogglebox’ in a post to her Instagram in July.
As viewers attempted to get used to the fresh faces, not everyone was pleased.
‘We don’t need any new additions and should’ve kept the young Scottish couple, liked them, if it’s not broken don’t try & fix it,’ Londongirl wrote on X.
‘Don’t think I’ll be tuning in next week, these new people have put me off,’ Pan shared.
‘Read the room Channel 4. We don’t like the new families. They’re irritating & too posh who we can’t relate to actually watching TV,’ Carole said.
‘Can’t lie I’m not feeling any of the new cast! Bring back Roisin & Joe!’ kritsyg_x posted.
‘We’re British, we don’t like change. I miss the old families,’ Katy Dixon agreed.
Some did come to their defence, however.
‘I feel like I’m in the minority here liking all the new families,’ Ames reflected.
‘Change can be tough, but new faces can bring fresh energy! Let’s hope they find their groove soon,’ Vivienne encouraged.
‘Totally feeling the same vibe! New dynamics can be a bit jarring, but I’m hopeful they’ll bring some fresh energy. Let’s see how it rolls out!’ Clara echoed.
Elsewhere in the episode, the Gogglebox cast were left in a classic state of surprise.
One of the shows the households were tasked with watching in the latest episode was some classic soap fare over on Coronation Street.
The storyline unfolding on the cobbles concerned Abi Webster (Sally Carman) and her secret lover Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard), whose head had been turned by another Walford resident.
Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) was on the case and tracked down Carl to a hotel, where he managed to convince her he wasn’t having a daytime tryst (he was).
When Tracey left and the camera turned to reveal who Carl’s partner in the bed was, Gogglebox viewers were surprised to see he was sharing a passionate afternoon with James Bailey (Jason Callender).
Sophie Sandiford declared the ITV soap’s reveal ‘the biggest curveball’, while Gogglebox viewers at home were similarly surprised to learn that Carl is having not one, but two affairs on the go.
@mishybabez_ wrote on X: ‘Everyone’s reactions to that Carl and James twist is everything,’ as @EnfieldGarry echoed: ‘Yeah we all had the same reaction to that scene.’
@Olivia121994_ said: ‘That was my mum’s exact reaction as well!’ as @Rise_and_grind7 joked about the soap: ‘How is Tracey still doing the same s*** as when I last watched Corrie 20 years ago.’
Gogglebox returns on Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.
A version of this article was first published on September 5, 2025.
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